Financial Aid Application Timeline & Priority Dates

All students, regardless of any Financial Aid utilization, are strongly encouraged to schedule a Financial Aid Counseling Session with one of our Financial Aid staff. Financial Aid Counseling Sessions provide tailored information to meet each student’s needs. The Priority Deadlines and Timelines noted below help to ensure timely Financial Aid processing.

Key Financial Aid Priority Deadlines

• Fall Semester or Terms (Modules) Priority Deadline: May 1 
• Spring Semester or Terms (Modules) Priority Deadline: October 1
• FAFSA® Form Open Date: October 1 (for the following Academic Year)

Financial Aid & Military Benefits Timeline 

• 90 days prior to the start of the Academic Year
  • Submit the FAFSA® with the SCHS school code 012744 
• 60 days prior to the start of the Semester or Term (Module)
  • Schedule a Financial Aid Counseling Session.
  • Military Specific: Active-duty service members must request Military Tuition Assistance (TA) through their respective branch portals (i.e., ArmyIgnitED). Veterans applying for GI Bill® benefits must apply via VA.gov to obtain their Certificate of Eligibility (COE).
• 45 days prior to the start of the Semester or Term (Module)
  • Submit / Review all Forms (as applicable)
    • Direct Deposit Form / information
    • Third-Party Payor Form
    • Outside Scholarship Form
    • Title IV Credit Balance Form 
  • Military-Specific: Submit the TA authorization voucher or COE to the School Certifying Official.
• 30 days prior to the start of the Semester or Term (Module) 
  • Submit Request to Borrow Less Than Maximum Aid Form (if applicable) 
  • Review / Update student contact information
  • Submit FERPA release (if applicable) 
  • Order Books with Book Voucher (if applicable)
  • Review & Approve Financial Aid Package
  • Review Registration Bill 
• Add / Drop Period through the first 30 days of the Semester of Term (Module) 
  • Military Specific: The School Certifying Official electronically verifies enrollment with the VA.
  • Generally, most Financial Aid will be disbursed to the student account, and any resulting stipend, will be issued. 

For personalized help navigating this timeline and utilization of VA Education Benefits, please contact the School Certifying Official, Helen Page Robbins, at the contact information above.  

USING YOUR GI BILL®

Our Institution is approved to offer GI Bill® educational benefits by the Virginia State Approving Agency. We honor: Chapters 1606, 1607, 35, 30- Montgomery GI Bill®, Chapter 33-Post 9/11 GI Bill®, Chapter 31-Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E)

If you are using any form of the GI Bill®, your enrollment will be certified with the VA electronically once drop/add ends each semester. Your enrollment cannot be certified until all required paperwork has been turned in to the School Certifying Official. Your enrollment will automatically be certified with the VA every semester that you have classes scheduled unless you instruct us otherwise. 

To use your Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 30) or your Post 9/11 GI Bill®, you will:

• Apply to use your benefits
• Obtain a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and send it to the College
• Note that this process can take 6-8 weeks

To transfer benefits from another school, you will:

• Complete a VA Form 22-1995 for a Change of Program or Place of Training
• Visit gibill.va.gov to access this form

To transfer your Post 9/11 benefits from an active duty member to a spouse or other dependent, follow these steps:

• The active duty member must be eligible for benefits and must apply for the benefits in his/her own name.
• After the benefits have been approved for the active duty member, the active duty member must then apply to transfer his or her benefits to a spouse or dependent
• After the transfer is approved, the student who will be using the benefits must apply for the benefits in their name
• Once approved, the student will receive a Certificate of Eligibility in their name. The College will need a copy of this as soon as possible
• Please note that Post 9/11 benefits cannot be transferred once the military member has retired or has been discharged     

The Virginia State Approving Agency (SAA), is the approving authority of education and training programs for Virginia.

SAA office investigates complaints of GI Bill® beneficiaries. While most complaints should initially follow the college grievance policy, if the situation cannot be resolved the beneficiary should contact their office via email saa@dvs.virginia.gov.

In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679(e), SCHS adopts the following additional provisions for any students using Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from Veteran Affairs education benefits. SCHS will not:

• Prevent the student’s enrollment;
• Assess a late penalty fee to the student;
• Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
• Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.

However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:

• Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by the first day of class;
• Provide a written request to be certified;
• Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies

MILITARY TUITION ASSISTANCE

Each of the armed services establishes tuition assistance rates. A Tuition Assistance (TA) document from the appropriate service may be submitted for payment of tuition at Southside College of Health Sciences. You are responsible for paying the portion of tuition not covered by the TA, and submission of the TA document signifying that you accept liability for payment of any tuition not covered. 

ARMY: You will be responsible for entering the course schedule, class enrollment and other information on the ArmyIgnitED web portal. Once the classes are approved through the ArmyIgnitED web portal, the School Certifying Official will invoice the military for the classes. Payment will come from the military directly to the College.

STATE TUITION ASSISTANCE

You are responsible for obtaining a tuition assistance payment voucher from your Education Office and submitting it to the School Certifying Official. State tuition assistance may also include an amount for books. Books are not purchased directly through the College. Any book stipends you receive will be either applied to any book advance you may have received or refunded directly to you as a reimbursement for your out of pocket book purchases.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

LEARN MORE ABOUT MILITARY & VETERAN TUITION ASSISTANCE

For more information about tuition assistance, contact your Education Office at your base.

MORE HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY, MILITARY DEPENDENTS AND VETERANS:

• Obtain information and complete the application for benefits here.
• Search for military or military dependent scholarship opportunities here.

 (GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at VA.gov.)